Matthew 12:22-37

So Far, Chapter 12 has Been Primarily Focused on the Pharisees’ Rejection of Jesus

This Passage is No Different

Last Week, Matthew Quoted a Prophecy From Isaiah 42

In this Passage, Jesus is Referred to as the Holy Spirit-Empowered Servant of God

Understanding that Jesus’ Ministry was Only Possible with the Spirit’s Empowerment…

Is Crucial to Understanding What is Going to Happen in this Text

Everything Jesus Does, He Does By the Guidance and Power of the Holy Spirit

Matthew Usually Doesn’t Waste Time Giving a Lot of Details…

To Things that Happen in Jesus’ Ministry/Life

But Matthew Spends a Lengthy Amount of Time on this Passage

This May Indicate to Us How Important the Passage is We are About to Study

Matthew 12:22–23 (NASB95)

Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?”

Matthew Sets the Scene for Us

A Man Possessed By a Demon and Who is Blind and Mute is Brought to Jesus

Matthew Doesn’t Go into Detail on How Jesus Healed Him…

Because That’s Not the Point of What Matthew is About to Tell Us

The Point Isn’t the Miracle, But What Happened Afterward

All the Crowds Were Amazed at What Jesus Had Done for this Man

But They Were Also Conflicted

They Weren’t Sure What to Believe About Jesus

Is He the Messiah, the Son of David, or is He Not?

The Miracles Point to “Yes”, But the Expectations of the People Point to “No”

“What are We to Make of this Man?”

Matthew 12:24 (NASB95)

But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”

This Statement is the Catalyst of All that is Going to Happen Next

The Pharisees Claim Jesus’ Casting Out of Demons was Only By the Power of “Beelzebul”

“Beelzebul” is a Reference to an Old Testament Canaanite Deity

The Jewish People Believed False Gods to Be Demons

Beelzebul was Looked at as the Ruler of the Demons

Therefore it Became a Common Way of Referring to Satan Himself

We Just Read Last Week that Jesus is Indwelt By the Spirit of God

But the Pharisees Claimed it was Satan, Not God’s Spirit, Living Inside Him

Jewish People Would Go On Believing this for Centuries to Come

That Jesus Could Only Do His Miracles By Sorcery Empowered By the Devil

Matthew 12:25–26 (NASB95)

And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?

Jesus Takes the Defense Against Their Allegation with an Argument From Common Sense

What was the Bloodiest War in American History?

In What War Did We Lose the Most American Lives?

The Civil War

The War in Which We Fought Against Ourselves

The War Based On Division

A Kingdom, City, or Family Cannot Survive When it is Divided Against Itself

And the Same Principle Applies to Satan and His Demons

Why Would Satan Attack Himself?

Demon Possession is What Satan Wants

He Wants to Control the Crown Jewel of God’s Creation

He Wants Humanity to Be in Submission to Him, Not God

He Wants His Kingdom to Rule Over the World, Not Jesus’

So Why Would Satan Actively Fight Against His Very Work?

The Simple Answer is: He Wouldn’t

What the Pharisees are Claiming is a Faulty Argument that Doesn’t Hold Water

Matthew 12:27 (NASB95)

“If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges.

Jesus Now Goes From Defense to Offense

And He Comes Right Out of the Gate Throwing Knockout Punches

“If You Say I Cast Out Demons By the Power of Satan…”

“Then By Whose Power Do Your Sons Cast Them Out?”

“Your Sons” Could Simply Refer to the Pharisees’ Peers or Disciples

“When I Cast Them Out, it’s Obviously Satan at Work…”

“But What About When You Cast Them Out?”

Jewish Exorcists Had Different Rituals and Practices to Attempt to Cast Out Demons

The Bible Doesn’t Tell Us if They Were Successful or Not

And that Isn’t the Point of What Jesus is Saying

The Jewish Exorcists Would Not Be Too Fond of the Argument the Pharisees Were Making

They Would Say, “Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Don’t Make the Argument that Satan Casts Out Demons.”

Matthew 12:28 (NASB95)

“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

“If I Cast Out Demons By the Possession of Satan, Then Satan’s Kingdom is Divided”

This Argument Holds No Weight

“But if I Cast Out Demons By the Spirit of God, God’s Kingdom has Come”

Remember, God’s Kingdom = God’s Rule/Reign

Every Time the Spirit Through Jesus…

Removes Wickedness or Restores What is Sick, Diseased, or Broken…

God’s Reign is Proven to Have Come

When God’s Kingdom/Rule Comes to its Fullness at Jesus’ Return…

All Sin will Be Forever Dealt with

All Demons Will Be Cast Out Forever

All Sicknesses and Diseases Will Be Forever Healed

All Mental, Emotional, and Physical Pain Will Be Forever Erased

Everything the Curse has Touched Will Be Forever Restored to God’s Original Purpose

That’s What is Going to Happen When God’s Kingdom Comes in its Fullness and Completeness

But Jesus Began the Reign of God Over the Earth with Every Reversal of the Curse He Performed

And this is What He was Telling the Pharisees

The Spirit’s Work of Establishing God’s Kingdom Over the Earth has Begun

The Curse is Being Broken

And Every Demon Cast Out is Proof of that Fact

Matthew 12:29 (NASB95)

“Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

God has Entered into the Strong Man’s Domain in the Person of Jesus

He has Bound Satan and is Taking What Once Belonged to Him

He is Reclaiming What Satan has Stolen

And Satan has No Power to Stop Him

Matthew 12:30 (NASB95)

“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

Jesus has Proven His Case

The Pharisees’ Allegation is Nonsensical

Jesus is Not Satan-Filled, But Spirit-Filled

And the Work He is Doing is Proof that the Reign of God Over All the Earth has Begun

Now it’s Time to Choose Which Side You’re On

His Ministry is Either the Work of the Holy Spirit or the Devil

Which Side Do You Choose?

But Before You Make Your Decision, You Need to Know the Repercussions

Matthew 12:31–32 (NASB95)

“Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

According to Jesus, All Sin and Blasphemies Can Be Forgiven…

Even Blaspheming the Messiah Himself is Forgivable

But Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is Not Forgivable

Naturally, When We Hear of a Sin that God Will Not Forgive, We’re Interested

We Want to Know What it is So We Can Be Careful Not to Commit it Ourselves

So, What Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

We’re Already a Step Ahead of Many People Who Ask this Question

Too Times People Only Read Verses 31 and 32 Without Reading the Context

We Know the Context

Jesus is Responding to Something the Pharisees Were Claiming About Him

They Claimed He Cast Out Demons By the Power of Satan

But He Claims He Casts Out Demons By the Power of the Holy Spirit

Knowing that Informs Us to What Blaspheming the Holy Spirit was All About

But First, What Does Blaspheming Even Mean?

At a Basic Level it is Speech that Belittles or Defames; Slander; To Speak Evil of

This is Exactly What the Pharisees Were Doing

They Were Belittling, Defaming, Slandering, and Speaking Evil of the Holy Spirit

They Saw the Good the Holy Spirit was Doing…

And Were Calling it Evil From the Devil Himself

Isaiah 5:20 (NASB95)

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

They Were Deliberately and Unrelentingly…

Rejecting the Truth of the Kingdom of God…

By Calling the Holy Spirit an Unholy Spirit

Some People Worry that They Might Commit the Unforgivable Sin of Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit on Accident

“What if I Blaspheme the Holy Spirit on Accident or Without Realizing it?”

That’s Impossible

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit Isn’t Certain Words You Utter Out of Your Mouth

It is Setting One’s Heart Defiantly Against God’s Goodness

Matthew’s Jewish Audience Probably Didn’t Have as Much Trouble as Us…

At Interpreting What Jesus was Saying

I Believe the Numbers 15:27-31 Will Help Us Better Understand Our Passage

Numbers 15:27–31 (NASB95)

‘Also if one person sins unintentionally, then he shall offer a one year old female goat for a sin offering. The priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the person who goes astray when he sins unintentionally, making atonement for him that he may be forgiven. You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the sons of Israel and for the alien who sojourns among them.

Under the Old Law, Unintentional Sins Could Be Forgiven

Unintentional Doesn’t Mean They Happened By Accident

But it Simply Means They Weren’t Premeditated

Every Christian Commits Unintentional Sins

Sins We Didn’t Premeditate, But Sins Committed Because of Weakness and Temptation

‘But the person who does anything defiantly, whether he is native or an alien, that one is blaspheming the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from among his people. Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt will be on him.’ ”

A Person Who Commits an Unintentional Sin Can Make an Offering and Be Forgiven

But a Person Who Commits a Sin Out of Defiance Must Be Cut Off From the People

This is Not a Sin Committed in Weakness While Being Tempted

This is a Premeditated Sin of Outright Rebellion Against God

It is a Blatant, Willful, and Persistent Rejection of God

That Kind of Sin is Described as Blaspheming Against God and Despising His Word

Matthew 12:31–32 (NASB95)

“Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

And this is the Kind of Sin the Pharisees Were Committing

And There is No Forgiveness for Such Sin, Neither Under the Old or New Covenant

Unless You are Living Defiantly in Open Rebellion Against God…

You Don’t Need to Be Concerned if You Have Committed the Unforgivable Sin

In Fact, if You’re Worried About Committing this Sin, You’re in No Danger of Committing it

But Before We Move On, There’s Still One More Part of this Text that Might Be Confusing for Us

Why is it that Speaking Against the Holy Spirit is Unforgivable…

But Speaking Against Jesus, the Messiah, Isn’t?

The Way I See it, the Answer is Pretty Simple

Many People, Out of Ignorance, Didn’t Believe in Jesus

Thousands of Them Would Later Become Believe On and After Pentecost

But the Powerful Works of the Holy Spirit Were Unmistakable

Too Witness the Power of the Holy Spirit and then Claim Such Power is From the Devil…

Is Not Out of Ignorance

That Only Comes From a Defiant and Rebellious Heart that is Set Against the Will of God

Because They Were So Against the Ministry of Jesus…

The Pharisees Were Willing to Call the Holy Spirit the Devil

There is No Forgiveness for Such a Defiant Heart

And That’s Exactly Where Blasphemy Comes From…

The Heart

Matthew 12:33–37 (NASB95)

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.

“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Pharisees Were Claiming to Be Good Trees…

But They Were Only Producing Rotten Fruit

And a Tree is Only Known By its Fruit

As John the Baptizer had Said, the Pharisees Were Children of Snakes

They Claimed to Be Good, But All They Spoke was Evil

And a Person’s Words Come Straight From the Heart

If Your Words are Evil, So is Your Heart

Their Words About Jesus and the Spirit that Lived Within Him…

Revealed Exactly Who These Pharisees Were

They Were Evil People with Evil Motives

If You Don’t Want People Knowing Who You Truly are…

Then You Better Never Open Your Mouth

When Jesus Returns, We Will Be Either Justified or Condemned

Either Declared Righteous or Sentenced to Punishment

And Every Word We Speak will Be the Very Proof By Which We’ll Be Judged

I Won’t Be Able, Like the Pharisees, to Say I was a Good Tree…

When the Fruit of My Lips Were Nothing But Rotten

My Very Words Give Me Away

Application:

When it Comes to Committing an Unforgivable Sin…

It All Comes Back to the Heart

A Person with the Right Heart…

One that is Set on Loving and Being Like Jesus…

Will Not Commit an Unforgivable Sin

Only Those Who Choose to Live in Open Rebellion and Defiance Against God…

Have No Hope of Forgiveness

That Means, if You are Here this Morning and You Love Jesus…

He Offers Freely to You His Forgiveness and Grace

Will You Place Your Faith/Allegiance in Him so He Can Save You?